The Big Ten unit rankings continue with a look at the defensive lines. And, there are three standout fronts in the league, paced by Ohio State. In fact, the Buckeyes may have the best d-line in the nation. See my full rankings in this post. [ MORE: Big Ten’s top offensive lines | Big Ten’s top pass-catchers ] 1. Ohio State. This may be the finest front in the USA. Ends Noah Spence and Joey Bosa are formidable, combining for 15.5 sacks. Bosa was a true freshman phenom in 2013. Michael Bennett is a monster tackle. Running mate Adolphus Washington

Do you have any Big Ten collectables laying around the house? If yes, it’s time dig into your old antique boxes and get those Big Ten treasures noticed. Coming this fall, BTN is set to launch a new feature show, “Big Ten Treasure Hunter,” and we’re looking for your submissions. Memorabilia expert John Arcand will embark on a new journey each week, traveling throughout Big Ten country to offer up his opinion on Big Ten memorabilia collections – and offer to buy items from collectors. We introduced the show to our readers back in May, but now with the addition

I continue my Big Ten unit rankings with a look at the receiving/tight end corps. There is no shortage of good targets, with Big Ten newcomer Maryland featuring a monster collection of pass-catchers. See my full rankings in this post. [ MORE: Big Ten’s top offensive backfields | Big Ten’s top offensive lines ] 1. Maryland. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better tandem than Stefon Diggs and Deon Long, who each saw 2013 end early after suffering broken legs vs. Wake Forest. Even though he missed six games, Diggs still netted honorable mention All-ACC honors. Nigel King and Amba

Ask any coach, and he’ll tell you games are won in the trenches. So, that means teams ranked highly on this list should be in store for good seasons, right? Check out the Big Ten offensive line unit rankings. Big uglies can be beautiful. [ MORE: Penn State tops offensive backfield rankings ] 1. Iowa. A strong line typically always is a calling card of this program under Kirk Ferentz. This season will feature another strong wall. Left tackle Brandon Scherff is one of the best in the nation. Not bad for a high school quarterback. Fellow tackle Andrew Donnal

With Rutgers and Maryland primed officially to join the Big Ten on Tuesday to make it a 14-team conference, I thought it would be interesting to look back on the last three times the Big Ten expanded. There was Michigan State, in 1949, Penn State, in 1990, and Nebraska, in 2010. [ MORE: Mascots on the loose in D.C. | Delany dons first Maryland B1G apparel ] 1949: Michigan State. The school—known then as Michigan State College–was looking for an upgrade when it began a push for membership in the 1940s. Credit school president John Hannah for being a guiding

The dog days of summer are settling in. That means two things: The Cubs’ season is officially over, and it’s time to look at the Big Ten units. I’ll begin with a look at the offensive backfields. And, as you’ll see, there is a lot of talent at running back—as well as some top-flight quarterbacks. 1. Penn State. The Nittany Lions have an impressive array of talent led by QB Christian Hackenberg, who has few peers as a passer and is a sure-fire future first-round selection. There also is a collection of nice running backs, including the likes of Zach

Big Ten mascots, including newbies Testudo and the Scarlet Knight, are on the loose in the nation’s capitol to celebrate Maryland and Rutgers’ move to the Big Ten, which become official Tuesday. See some of our favorite pictures from the mascots’ visits to the White House, Washington Monument and so much more in this post. [ MORE: Gallery: Big Ten, BTN celebrate additions at New York party ] .@UWBuckyBadger shows @Testudo_UMD how it's done after a #Badgers TD. #ThinkB1G #B1GWelcome pic.twitter.com/BKH4BlabyW — Big Ten Conference (@bigtenconf) June 30, 2014 We're all just one #B1G family. #selfie #B1GWelcome pic.twitter.com/LLBerGvewI — Big

BTN threw an exclusive party at Cipriani in New York Thursday for 1,000 alumni and friends of the Big Ten that featured some of the conference’s best-known celebrities along with mascots and cheerleaders. We were there to celebrate the Big Ten’s expansion to the East Coast as well as increased distribution for BTN. On Wednesday, BTN President Mark Silverman told reporters that Comcast will carry BTN on a broader level of service in New Jersey and Maryland, joining Time Warner and Cablevision in expanding the network’s availability. BTN is expected to have more than 60 million subscribers nationwide by kickoff

Goodbye, BCS. Hello, College Football Playoff. With the new playoff system set to debut this fall, I hit the rewind button and asked one beat writer from all 14 schools for his team’s top player of the BCS era. Here is what I got. * Responses are based on these writers’ personal opinions, and they are not speaking on behalf of the publication for which they write for. [ MORE: BCS Flashbacks: Our top BCS-Era teams by school ] ILLINOIS Matt Daniels (@mdaniels_NG), News-Gazette: Juice Williams (2006-2009) – The BCS era didn’t exactly treat the Illini well. The program only

Legends and Leaders are no more. It was a fun three seasons, but now we turn the page to the East and West. In remembrance of the Legends and Leaders, which formed prior to 2011, we’re highlighting our top players from the period (2011-13). Up next: BTN.com’s All-Legends Defensive Team. As a refresher, the Legends featured Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska and Northwestern. View our team in the photo gallery below and see player stats at the bottom of this post. [ MORE: All-Leaders Offense | All-Leaders Defense | All-Legends Offense ] BTN.com’s All-Legends Defensive Team DL: Shilique Calhoun,